Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday afternoon announced the appointment of distinguished academic Dr. Tommie “Tonea” Stewart to the Alabama State Board of Education.
Stewart fills the vacancy created by longtime Democratic district five board member Ella Bell’s passing in November.
“Alabama’s students and teachers deserve our best, and Dr. Stewart is prepared to offer that,” Ivey said in a statement. “Dr. Stewart is bringing forth a great passion and a lifetime of unique experience that I know will greatly benefit Alabama’s students and educators. I look forward to serving alongside her as we work to build a stronger future for our state. Education must be at the core of all of our efforts, and that begins with the leadership at the top.”
The governor spoke with Stewart earlier in the day Tuesday and asked her to serve. Stewart comes to the board with a unique understanding of what students need in order to be successful post-high school. For the last decade, she served as the dean and a professor in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Alabama State University (ASU). Prior to her tenure as dean, she served as chair and a professor in ASU’s Department of Theatre Arts, in addition to being director and holding other positions in the department. Throughout that time, Stewart contributed to several scholarly works.
“Education is the pathway for our children’s future. It is our charge to motivate, validate, and create a positive environment for teaching the youth and supporting the employees that our children encounter,” Stewart stated. “This was the focus of Board Member Ella Bell, and her work will not be in vain. It is important that the state of Alabama’s educational system deserves student preparedness.”
In conjunction with Stewart’s decades of experience in higher education, she has a diverse and impressive background through her work across the country, internationally and on the screen. As a professional actress, she appeared in many films, television series and stage productions, including roles in “A Time to Kill,” “The Rosa Parks Story” and “American Horror Stories.” She has been a celebrity guest to Turkey, the Scottish Parliament and in Seoul, South Korea.
Stewart earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Jackson State University. She also holds a Master of Arts from the University of California in Santa Barbara and a doctorate from Florida State University. She was the first African American female to receive a doctorate from the FSU School of Theatre. Stewart and her husband, Dr. Allen Stewart, have children who were educated in the Montgomery Public School System.
Prelude of more to come?
The appointment, which is effective immediately, comes with just 56 days remaining until Alabama’s voters go to the polls for a referendum on Amendment One, which would change the elected board to a commission appointed by the governor — the Alabama Commission on Elementary and Secondary Education.
Proponents of the amendment, which overwhelmingly passed the state legislature on bipartisan lines in the spring of 2019, argue that this appointment is a clear example of the apolitical, expert type of appointees that the public should see if the referendum is successful.
The historic constitutional amendment would also establish the Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, appointed by the commission, to replace the current state superintendent position. The governor’s appointments and the secretary must be confirmed by the Senate and will be required to have the geographical, gender and racial diversity that reflects the state public-school population.
Alabama is one of only six states with an elected school board appointing a chief state school officer. All of Alabama’s neighboring states have governor-appointed school boards.
Additionally, the Yellowhammer State’s public education system was ranked number 50 in the United States in a report published last year and has consistently been stagnant (at best) near the bottom of other national K-12 educational rankings for years.
Ivey in 2019 launched the “Take the Lead, Alabama” initiative to raise awareness over K-12 education issues in the state and rally support for the important upcoming referendum.
Speaking to attendees at a press conference this past summer, Ivey emphasized this effort is a continuation of the core promise she made to the people of Alabama when she assumed office in 2017: Alabama’s education system has been broken for years, starting with its system of governance at the top, and Ivey is dedicated to righting the ship.
“Since taking office, I’ve made improving education a top priority. As a former teacher, I recognize that strong leadership and a strong plan are necessary components to improving our education system,” Ivey said. “Through my ‘Take the Lead, Alabama’ initiative, we will shake up how we do things in our state to improve educational outcomes for students in every region. I encourage every Alabamian to join me in supporting this constitutional amendment, so that Alabama can take the lead!”
Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston), after spearheading the legislative side of the proposal, has continued to be an integral advocate ahead of the referendum.
“Our current system is broken,” Marsh has said previously. “We need systemic changes to our education system and it starts at the top.”
At the press conference, he thanked Ivey for her support and dedication to improving education in the state
“No issue is more important in Alabama than education,” Marsh stressed. “[In] March, the voters will have the chance to send a strong message that we want a school board that is capable of making decisions in the best interests of our schools, teachers and students.”
The top states in The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) —Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Indiana, Vermont, South Dakota, Iowa — have governor-appointed boards. Studies have shown that states where governors appoint state education chiefs perform better than states where chiefs gain their posts by other means.
Marsh added, “I believe students learn best when innovation is allowed to take place in the classroom. If we have a school board that is made up of qualified individuals who are held accountable, we can increase local control, reduce the amount of time the Legislature spends on education reform and put the power back where it belongs, in the hands of educators.”
The amendment would also mandate that the newly formed commission adopt a uniform set of standards “in lieu of” Common Core.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
